1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a communication device and to a communication method. The device and method derive relevant context information for intelligent sentence selection, using location and other qualifiers.
2. Description of Related Art
Communication is everywhere, for example, “I would like a hamburger please,” or “I would like a single ticket to London please.” The use of such simple phrases is taken for granted by most people most of the time, as it forms an essential part of our lives. However, for some people, simple communication does not come so easily. One reason for such problems in simple communication is disability, being deaf, blind or mute, each of which can be a major barrier to easy communication and in combination can make everyday situations very challenging. Another reason that communication can be difficult is simply a language barrier, which occurs when attempting to communicate with someone who does not speak your language.
Two known solutions to these problems exist. Firstly, an individual who has difficulty communicating through disability or language problems can get someone who is fluent in the desired language to act as a middleman. This solution has a number of problems, notably, that such an intermediary is not always available, it is inconvenient, sometimes awkward, and can be annoying and/or embarrassing for all of the parties involved in such an exchange.
A second solution is the use of a voice synthesizer. A synthesizer allows a user to type in a language component as desired, and the synthesizer will then output, in audio, the typed language component. This solution also has problems, because it requires a perfect knowledge of the desired language, and the use of a synthesizer requires the time and effort in typing the language component, which can be, again, annoying and/or embarrassing for both parties. This also does nothing to address communication back in the other direction.
It is therefore an object of the invention to improve upon the known art.